Mobile is most definitely changing the customers journey and we are using it more and more to do everything.  Research, buying, selling and customer service. Small businesses can no longer ignore this fact. Instead, they should be thinking about giving it some more time. The reality is that mobile is now the most important screen to think about so you have to start thinking about how the customer will think, feel and what they will act (or not) upon when coming across your co

Most are now realising that Content marketing  is one of the finest ways of engaging with and getting a reaction from a specific targeted market. This infographic from Content Plus explores just how successful content marketing can help businesses grow online. Read their blog post exploring this infographic in more detail  here  or  watch the  animated video . NEW!  The Anatomy of Content Marketing in more languages :   Arabic Danish Dutch Finnish French German Italian

I know. You have seen this kind of heading before right? True, there are many folk offering sturdy advice on using Twitter for business. But they all seem to leave out 5 really significant deal breakers that could mean your tweets get maximum visibility and actually WORK for you rather than disappear into Twitter cyberspace with nothing but a poof of turquoise smoke! Get it into perspective. Many of my clients really worry about not being on Twitter at the right time to catch

I want to highlight @Movember today. For obvious reasons. Yes. But for some not so obvious. The brand, its collaborators and a big high 5 for its’ achievements so far! ‘ During November each year, Movember is responsible for the sprouting of moustaches on thousands of men’s faces in the UK and around the world. The aim of which is to raise vital funds and awareness for men’s health, specifically prostate cancer and testicular cancer.’ Movember.com. This year its global and I

Have you seen it?..Who hasn’t! I wanted to share with you reasons why I think it rocks and wanted to prove that although I understand we aren’t all over-flowing with marketing budgets the size of the sea, it can all be solved with a little magic creativity! That wasn’t meant to rhyme. Ahem. “ We love self expression. That’s why we want to hear your original songs and help you share them with others. If you’re an aspiring singer-songwriter, upload your song or songs and you ju

Have you been to any great sessions this week at #swmld?  Do you plan to go?  I’d love to hear all about it! If you are unable to attend any of the FREE events this week, you can catch many live on the SMW webcam!  Their blog  is updated daily with goings on from the Official Google Campus Hub , The Facebook Hub and various other venues  across town such as Adam Street and The Betsy Trotwood . I have been making tonnes of notes and will be posting up my favourite tips from th

I have a friend who runs a vintage fashion label.   My Vintage Affair . She also runs fairs across London.  I have also worked on Wayne Hemingway’s Vintage Festival in 2011 and through this made many contacts in the Vintage Industry.  I have had many questions from these folk asking how they can vamp up their online presence so I thought I would pop a few ideas down this week. There are of course (and here comes the plug) more ideas in my book “ One Giant Leap Into Social Med

To get the best out of social media takes planning.  Have I drummed that into you enough yet?!  Once you know what you want and you’ve figured out a way to get there – you are on your way! All you have to do is to produce valuable content and information that people will find useful, unique and unrivalled. Ahem. Now if you are a pub, bar or restaurant, using social media is vital. But you are up against a lot of competition. You also don’t have a lot of time, being very busy

We all know we have to, but how do we start? Well this post is designed to help you do just that! 1. Understand your own site before you do ANYTHING. Why would somebody want to link to your site? 2. Find out who is already linking to you, if anyone. Go to Google and type in link:domainname.com and then research these guys.  Who else do they link to? (Your competition) and what keywords, anchor texts do they use? 3. Now figure out your strategy:. Find out who is linking to yo

OPT introduces: Yvonne Morris a  Commercial Law Consultant. We think that as well as knowing how to use your website as a marketing tool, you should also be aware of the legalities centred around actually having one!  Over the next three days, Yvonne explains to us all about Cookies and the law.  This information is vital to all who own a website, or who is thinking of getting one! Over to Yvonne…. WHY HAS THE LAW CHANGED? The 2002 European Directive upon which the 2003 UK P

OPT offers you top 5 tips that your competitors will already know! read on… It is fair to say that online pr is NOT the same as offline pr. The differences are significant.  And it is important to learn that both are pitched differently.  This is something successful marketeers have learnt over time and you can learn this from them. Online PR is a varied mixture of brand reputation monitoring and management activities and it’s main goal to influence media, communities and au

It will go a long way to boost awareness and create your reputation that eventually clients will trust. So here are OPT’s last minute tips on building an online presence and brand. Take note! 1. Research your audience and know whom you are selling to. Utilize Google’s many tools and resources to get facts and figures. 2. Based on your research, give you brand a voice. Whether it is someone in the company of note, or yourself, this will become the foundation and ‘human touch’

What does the future hold for branding online? We are in the cardinal age of utilising the digital branding concept. Ok, the big boys have been doing it far longer, but it has now reached ‘the streets’ and anyone can play. As it continues to evolve, it will be made easier with the tools available online to assess and develop a more sophisticated process.  What we think will stay the same is the humane aspect of your brand.  The listening, interacting and the ‘relationship’ wi

We know that we have the internet in front of us, which connects us to the rest of the globe, BUT never forget that once your presence is set in stone, your brand is working, part of building it’s success, with relationships and ambassadors is connecting with people.  Not just via the net but face to face and even better, on a one to one. Think local! (if possible with your business). Are there any events being held in your local city that you could get involved with? sponsor

Exactly. Just start with a ‘Please’ or “Thank You!’. They go a long, long way. INTERACTING with people and becoming your own living brand ambassador is the only way forward. You represent what you are selling/promoting etc and within your social media circles, you can start telling the story of what your brand is and where it is going.  Take a look at your favourite children’s book… No – I’m serious! – Why did you like it? Did it have characters you particularly favoured?  Ho

Easier said than done right?  Wrong! Your company, your ideas, your vision! Simple! Ok – maybe you’re working for someone else’s company and brand, but you will think of it as your own if you have that job, right?! First of all I would advise you work our where you are at right now.  An audit, if you will.  Take an inventory or your online presence as is and see what other people are saying about you.  There are plenty of social media monitoring services our there for you to

How about beginning a audio or video tutorial for your niche? Do you think that your audience will benefit from you offering them a mentoring service? Tips and Tricks for your specialist service? Whether your skills lie in being a creative or an expert in your niche (you could be a great golfer or know how and when to pot certain plants a musician, or a retail manager, etc) Think of the qualities you could share with other businesses in your field or your online clientele. Re